Packaging often serves an important purpose—like making sure our products get to us in working condition or extending the life of our produce—however, we can all make do with less. Here are some ways you can reduce your packaging waste. Have more ideas? Share them with us.

Buy in Bulk

One of the simplest ways to reduce packaging waste AND save money is to buy products in bulk. Compare the cost of a gallon of apple juice in a single jug, for example, with that of a gallon’s worth of individual bottles or juice boxes. In the case of apple juice, all the packaging is recyclable, but there’s a lot less of it to begin with if you buy in bulk. Some things shouldn’t be bought in bulk though, like perishable food that could go bad before you had a chance to eat it (unless you plan to quickly freeze, dry, or can it).

Choose Less Packaging and/or Recyclable Packaging

Compare how the same product from different brands is packaged. If all other things about the product are equal, consider choosing the product that uses less packaging and/or more recyclable packaging. For example, a jug of liquid laundry detergent is recyclable in your bin/cart once empty, however a thick pouch of laundry detergent tablets is not.

Give Feedback

If your favorite product comes in excessive amounts of packaging and/or packaging that cannot be recycled in your bin or cart at home, consider sending feedback through the company’s website, letting them know that you’d love to see less packaging and/or readily recyclable packing used in their products.